The Heart of the Scriptures
What does the Bible have to say about the heart? “Mary kept all these things, pondering them in her heart” Luke 2:51 “The word of God…[pierces] to…the thoughts and intentions of the heart” Hebrews...
View ArticleThe Pro-Life Cause, Orthodoxy, and Hope
[a talk for an Orthodox Christian Pro-Life Event; January 22, 2012] Today is the 39th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, the Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion—through all 50 states, for any...
View ArticleGood Nous. The Role of an Icon in the Eastern Orthodox Church
I was once asked to give a talk at Washington’s National Cathedral on prayer in the Eastern Orthodox tradition. I brought with me a large icon, one familiar to many people, showing the Holy Trinity as...
View ArticleWhat Changed Your Mind?
A journalist asked me a question, and I didn’t know how to answer it. She said that she had read something I wrote in which I said that my husband was attracted to Orthodoxy right away, but I didn’t...
View ArticleThe Difference between the Jesus Prayer and Meditation
An emailer asked me to distinguish between various kinds of meditation, like someone sitting and thinking only about a word like “Love” or “Peace,” and how that differs from the Jesus Prayer. I...
View ArticleA Great Time to Join the Orthodox Church
On January 7, 2022, my friend Rod Dreher had a post on his American Conservative blog about the direction Pope Francis is trying to take the Catholic Church. Rod went on to say: <<For the time...
View ArticleHow Can We Evangelize Today?
[January 14, 2022] Someone once emailed me to ask me about evangelism in Orthodoxy. I wanted to share my reply, because it’s worth discussing. +++ After my husband’s and my chrismation, I was...
View Article“Without ceasing,” Really?
Somebody asked me about the Jesus Prayer: <<What does it mean to ‘pray without ceasing’? Do you actually say the Jesus Prayer everywhere? On the beach, in a restaurant, when you’re with other...
View ArticleAnti-Western Bias and Anti-Intellectuallism in American Orthodoxy
A friend played for me a few minutes of an AFR podcast about “anti-Western” bias among Orthodox. There was a reference to something in one of my books (politely done, without naming me). I messaged the...
View ArticleWhy They Hate Us
[Eighth Day Institute, Feb 2019] Back in my college days, when dinosaurs roamed the earth, I was a hippie and a spiritual seeker. The range of spiritual options on campus was broad, and I sampled a bit...
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